The year 1917 in film involved some significant events.

Events

• Foundation of Universum Film AG (U A), as a propaganda film company, in Berlin.
• Technicolor System 1, a two-color process, is introduced. The first film to use it was The Gulf Between.
• World's first feature-length animated film is made in Argentina by Quirino Cristiani (El Ap stol)
• Movette, another revision of the 17.5 mm film format, is made available.
• Buster Keaton makes his film debut.
• April 25 - Thomas Lincoln Tally, in a meeting in New York, co-founds the First National Exhibitors Circuit.^[1][2]

Top grossing films (U.S.)

Films released in 1917

U.S.A. unless stated

• Golden Rule Kate, a Louise Glaum drama western feature
• The Man Without a Country, starring Florence La Badie
• The Adventurer, a Charlie Chaplin short.
• The Bad Boy, starring Robert Harron, Mildred Harris and Colleen Moore
• Big Timber
• Bucking Broadway, directed by John Ford.
• The Butcher Boy, a 'Fatty' Arbuckle / Buster Keaton short (Keaton's film debut).
• Camille, starring Theda Bara
• The Cinderella Man
• Cleopatra, starring Theda Bara
• Coney Island, a 'Fatty' Arbuckle / Buster Keaton short.
• The Cure, a Charlie Chaplin short.
• The Dying Swan (Umirayushchii Lebed) - (U.S.S.R.)
• Dombey and Son directed by Maurice Elvey and starring Hayford Hobbs - (Britain)
• Easy Street, starring Charlie Chaplin
• El Ap stol, animated by Quirino Cristiani - (Argentina)
• Fear directed by Robert Wiene and starring Conrad Veidt (Germany)
• Frank Hansen's Fortune directed by Viggo Larsen (Germany)
• The Gay Lord Quex directed by Maurice Elvey and starring Ben Webster and Irene Vanbrugh - (Britain)
• Great Expectations, starring Jack Pickford
• The Gulf Between, All color movie.
• Harrison and Barrison, directed by Alexander Korda and starring M rton R tkai (Hungary)
• His Wedding Night, a 'Fatty' Arbuckle / Buster Keaton short.
• Her Right to Live, starring Peggy Hyland, Antonio Moreno, Mae Costello and John S. Robertson, directed by Paul Scardon
• The Immigrant, starring Charlie Chaplin
• Joan the Woman, starring Geraldine Farrar; directed by Cecil B. DeMille
• The Little American, starring Mary Pickford; directed by Cecil B. DeMille.
• A Little Princess, starring Mary Pickford, Norman Kerry and ZaSu Pitts, directed by Marshall Neilan.
• A Man There Was (Terje Vigen) - (Sweden)
• The Marriage of Luise Rohrbach, directed by Rudolf Biebrach and starring Henny Porten, Emil Jannings (Germany)
• Oh Doctor!, a 'Fatty' Arbuckle / Buster Keaton short.
• One Law for Both directed by Ivan Abramson
• The Poor Little Rich Girl, starring Mary Pickford.
• Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm
• A Reckless Romeo, a 'Fatty' Arbuckle short.
• The Rough House, a 'Fatty' Arbuckle / Buster Keaton short.
• Souls Triumphant
• Straight Shooting, directed by John Ford.
• Teddy at the Throttle, a Keystone comedy with Gloria Swanson.
• Tom Sawyer, starring Jack Pickford
• The Tornado, directed by John Ford (his debut)
• Wild and Woolly
• The Wild Girl, starring Eva Tanguay and Thomas J. Moore

Comedy film series

• Harold Lloyd (1913 1938)
• Charlie Chaplin (1914 1940)
• Lupino Lane (1915 1939)
• Buster Keaton (1917 1944)

Births

• January 5 - Jane Wyman, actress (died 2007)
• January 2 - Vera Zorina, dancer, actress (died 2003)
• January 10 - Hilde Krahl, actress (died 1999)
• January 24 - Ernest Borgnine, actor
• February 6 - Zsa Zsa Gabor, actress
• February 21 - Lucille Bremer, actress (died 1996)
• March 12 - Googie Withers, actress
• March 22 - Virginia Grey, actress (died 2004)
• April 14 - Valerie Hobson, actress (died 1998)
• April 29 - Maya Deren, experimental filmmaker (died 1961)
• May 1 - Danielle Darrieux, actress
• May 10 - Margo, actress (died 1985)
• May 21 - Raymond Burr, actor (died 1993)
• May 25 - Steve Cochran, actor (died 1965)
• June 7 - Dean Martin, singer, actor (died 1995)
• April 29 - Celeste Holm, actress
• June 30 - Lena Horne, singer, actress
• July 17 - Phyllis Diller, comedian, actress
• August 6 - Robert Mitchum, actor (died 1997)
• August 25 - Mel Ferrer, actor (died 2008)
• September 9 - Rolf Wenkhaus, actor (died 1942)
• September 11 - Herbert Lom, actor
• October 7 - June Allyson, actress (died 2006)
• October 7 - Helmut Dantine, actor (died 1982)
• October 17 - Alice Pearce, actress (died 1966)
• October 17 - Marsha Hunt, U.S. actress
• October 22 - Joan Fontaine, actress
• November 4 - Virginia Field, actress (died 1992)
• December 7 - Hurd Hatfield, actor (died 1998)
• December 22 - Frankie Darro, actor (died 1976)

Deaths

• January 17 - Matt Snyder, American actor,(*one of the oldest people acting in film at the time of his death)
• February 19 - Marshall Farnum, director, brother of Dustin and William Farnum
• February 21 - Fred Mace, actor & comedian
• April 26 - Dent Gilbert, cinematographer, 25 years old
• May 20 - Edward Mawson, American actor
• June 23 - Walter Hitchcock, stage & screen actor (born 1871 or 72)
• July 2 - Herbert Beerbohm Tree, stage & screen star
• October 13 - Florence La Badie, pioneer actress
• October 25 - Jack Standing, silent film actor, age 30, son of Herbert Standing and brother of Guy Standing & Wyndham Standing.
• December 20 - Eric Campbell, actor & a main member of Charles Chaplin's stock company.

Film Debuts

• Marion Davies
• Vittorio De Sica
• Richard Dix
• Elsie Ferguson
• John Ford - director
• Mary Garden
• Buster Keaton
• Stan Laurel
• Bela Lugosi
• ZaSu Pitts
• Marjorie Rambeau
• Loretta Young

References

1. ↑ Films of the Golden Age
2. ↑ First National filmography